Distance // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 14

'Miss Dolittle!' McGonagall shouts as we stand to leave the room. I turn back to look at her. 'Could I have a word, please?' Hermione smiles before she leaves, and I catch Malfoy grinning wickedly. Twat bucket. 'Yes, Miss?' McGonagall surveys me a moment.
'Miss Dolittle, it has come to my attention that something seems to be on your mind.'
'Oh. Please don't tell me I'm failing.'
'No, no. Word travels. You seemed - despite the fact that you did transfigure all of your animals well today - to be put off by something. Is there anything I can help you with?'
'Thank you, Miss, but there really isn't anything that can be done about it.' I say politely. McGonagall gives me a sympathetic smile and pushes her glasses up her nose slightly. 'I see. I understand Mr Malfoy can be difficult.' I freeze. How does she know?
'Yes, very.' I reply.
'And there's definitely nothing I can do?'
'Most unfortunately, no.'
'Very well. You may go.' As I stand, I turn back around.

'Professor?'
'Yes, Miss Dolittle?'
'Earlier when Hermione asked about the Chamber of Secrets, and you mentioned about the muggle-borns . . . if the chamber has been re-opened, would it mean, you know, would it mean we were at risk?'
'Unfortunately I cannot answer that, Miss Dolittle. Now hurry along, Miss Granger, Mr Weasley and Mr Potter are waiting for you.' I exit the classroom and shut the door behind me.

'What did McGonagall want?'
'She just wanted to see if I was okay, she picked up on the whole Malfoy thing. Honestly, she knows everything, that woman.'
'Too right. Do you reckon the chamber really has been opened?' Ron asks.
'Yes, and that means that the heir of Slytherin must have returned to Hogwarts. The only question is who could it be?'
'Let's think? Who do we know that hates all the muggle-borns in the school?' Ron watches as Malfoy walks past. Thanks, Ron, I think. No matter if we are friends or not, my wounds are still fresh. 'We need to find out for a fact.' Hermione folds her arms.

'Alyssia? Could you not just make up with Malfoy and find out?' I feel my mouth drop, as does Hermione's. 'Ron!'
'What?'
'I will not make up with him after what he said, after he called me and Hermione mudbloods, just to find out something superstitious which we are putting upon him without enough sufficient evidence. I do not want to be friends with someone who has offended me so much I can't think straight!' I grumble, walking ahead. Hermione catches up moments later.

'Don't worry, there's an alternative. We're going to make polyjuice potion instead.' She whispers. 'Ron just wasn't thinking when he said that.'
'I'm not cut out for this.' I wail as me and Hermione make our way down the grass. 'Yes, you are. We will have to start the potion as soon as possible, Harry is desperate to get that information out of Malfoy.'
'Right, right. Okay, where will we make it?'
'That's sorted. The out of order girls' bathroom, no one ever goes in there.'
'Fair enough.' I shrug, sitting down.

When we decide to head back to the common room, the atmosphere is thick with talk of one thing: the upcoming Gryffindor - Slytherin Quidditch match. The match is to be held tomorrow, and Harry and the rest of the team can't seem to wait. It seems to be topic of every conversation in the common room at the moment. Me and Hermione settle with an excited Harry and Ron, and I quickly write separate letters to my parents, informing them of all the good things at Hogwarts recently. I decide to leave out the part that the Chamber of Secrets concerns. 'I won't be long, I'm just going to nip up to the owlery.' I whisper to Hermione.

I hurry against the Autumn weather and get inside the tall tower full of owls, calling for Feathers. I attach the letters to her leg and send her off. 'Lyssa?' Oh my life. I whip around to see Malfoy clutching a letter. I turn away and hear him sigh. 'I know I've been a jerk -'
'Bit more than a jerk.'
'I know, okay? But please, just hear me out. You haven't spoken to me in over a month.'
'And I don't plan to talk to you ever again.'
'Lyssa! Look, I know I was totally out of line to call Hermione a mudblood, especially in front of you. But it's a term that's always used in my house, it comes naturally.' I fold my arms. 'And I know I called you a mudblood, but I was angry that you wouldn't speak to me, and you wouldn't stop blanking me. It just came out. I hate not talking to you.'

I stay silent. 'Please.' Do I have this wrong or is he literally begging me to be friends with him again? I take a deep breath. 'I'm not denying that I don't miss you. But I can't forgive you. You can't call someone a mudblood just because you're mad, you can't use the term when you know how much it hurts them. You can't treat them - me - like that. Draco, you know I wish I could forgive you, but it's not going to be that easy. You really fucked up.'
'I know I did but -'
'But nothing. I can't be friends with you when you hurt me so bad, and that's all there is to it.' Tears threaten my eyes and my voice catches. Malfoy looks down. 'That's all there is to it. You're going to have to seriously pull this one out of the bag if you want to make it up to me.' I walk out before anything else happens, before I burst into tears.

-*-

'Come on, then! We won't get decent seats!' Ron is pulling on my arm at the breakfast table. I finish my toast and hurry to get up. Ron walks at a fast pace, me and Hermione behind him. 'What took you so long last night, by the way? I was getting a little worried.' I didn't tell Hermione of the incident at the owlery last night, I just felt too uncomfortable. 'I - I ran into Malfoy.'
'What?'
'Yeah, at the owlery. He was trying to apologise again. I told him that I wasn't denying the fact that I want us to be friends, but I told him that it's going to take a lot more than a simple apology to make it up to me.' I shake my head. 'I feel like it's a fucking break up, all mopey and upset. I bet it sounds like one, too.'
'No, it sounds like a girl who just lost her best friend.' Hermione smiles sadly as we take our seats next to Hagrid.

The match proves to be disappointing mostly. At the moment, Slytherin are winning 90 - 30, and the Gryffindors are glum. Harry and Malfoy are circling way above the match, and Hagrid is watching the game through binoculars. 'Looks like Harry's got 'imself a rogue Bludger. That's been tampered with, that has!' My eyes shoot up to Harry and I watch in dismay as the Bludger attempts to murder Harry high above. Then, he dives, Malfoy following him. He's seen the snitch. We are left to worry when they disappear into the stocks of the pitch.

I gasp as Malfoy hurtles up onto the sand and tumbles across it, but scold myself for showing any sign that I care. I don't. Then, he is followed up shortly after by Harry, who flies along on his broomstick with his arm outstretched. That is until the Bludger smashes into him. I scream as his hand goes to his chest, but he holds out the other arm and catches the snitch before tumbling to the sand. 'Let's go!' We hurry through the stands and down onto the pitch just in time. The Bludger continuously tries to hit Harry despite the fact that the game has finished. Hermione is quick to point her wand at it and shout something I don't catch, causing the Bludger to explode - I recognise the spell as Finite Incantatem - as we hurry over to Harry. On the way, I catch Malfoy glance briefly at me. And for the first time in over a month, he doesn't mouth "I'm sorry". Finally, the space I deserve.